United Methodist News Service’s Heather Hahn reports, “The United Methodist Church could have openly gay clergy and clergy could officiate at same-sex marriages if a proposal affirmed by a denomination-wide leadership body prevails.” The Connectional Table overwhelmingly approved a proposal to remove offensive and prohibitive language that ostracizes gay and lesbian members from the church. “We’ve tried to allow some exercise of conscience, to allow for varying beliefs, to allow for varying practices within different contexts and to open a space for grace where people can live together in unity with their different beliefs,” said the Rev. Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai.